Soot valve and self-feeding intake



1933- E. B. TOLMAN, JR

500T VALVE AND. SELF FEEDING INTAKE Filed June 8, 1933 1? n n m j M J P r k f n E m H r a m 5 mm Mm Z -Tyil;

ILMYIIIIII" M 4 "an improved fitting and airtight closure member 7 for the inlet thereto, positioned entirely;within ofa device of the kinddescribed which is simple,

v 'struction herein shown and described will be obvi-.

Patented Dec. 26, 1933 v r V. 0 94 r soo'r AL vs AND SELF-FEEDING I TAKE r 7 Edgar B. Tolman, Jr.,1Qhica go, Ill. r I Application June 8, 1933: Serial .N 674.85g 4' I mass; (01. 302-9265;

- The invention relates to a combination fitting 7 r and air tight closure member adapted to v control the fiowof finely granulated substances from combustion chambers, storagehoppers and thebase of stacks or] the'like, into a pneumatic conveyor system. More particularly, the invention relates to means for the delivery of ash,:fiy ash, soot and similar materials from a receptacle into a conduit forming part of a'pneumatic conveyor system.

An object of the invention isthe provision of thefitting, and operableto permit the contents of ahopper or similar container to-fiow freely into 5-, a conduit through which thefmaterial so discharged is conveyed by'pneumatic action, thefitting being so constructed as to prevent the conduit frombeing completely filled with the material at r the pcintof deliveryfand thereby avoiding possi. 20 bility of choking the conduit or retardation of the pneumatic action. 1 V

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel closure member for a dischargeopening of the kind described and means operable to open andclose-the closure member and to hold the closure member when open out of the path of material flowing through the'opening and when closed to hold said member in position toseal the opening.

Another object of the invention is the provision easily installed and manipulated, economical of construction and satisfactory forits intended purpose.

Many other objects and advantages of the conous to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given. 7

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more parvice embodying the principles of the invention;

and i Fig. 2 is a View alongthe line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Referring'now more particularly to the drawing, v

the numeral 10' generally designates a hopper "adapted to be fastened tofthe bottom of a receptacle such'as a storage hopper, combustion'chamber or the base of a stack. The upper endof the hopper 10 is provided with a flange 11 having holes 12 therein for the insertion of bolts to secure the 'conduit'ls at material. The

hopper to the underside of thestorage receptacle. w A member 14,. providing-a receptacle intoi f the hopper l0 discharges, hasa flange 15 fastened bybolts 16 to acorresponding flange 13 on the f lower edgeof the hopperll). A gasket 1'7; provides a sealed jointbetween the flan l3and 151; The V hopper lo has' an outlet'opening .in fits lower end through which its content'sare discharged by," gravity into the member l i. The lower endi of' the member 14 te'rminates in a transverse conduitf 5 section 18 adapted for insertion in a conveying, conduit of asystem. ,The ends of the section 18 each have aflange 19 equipped with holes 20 for" insertion of bolts to connect the-section-with the} adjacent portions of the conveyingconduitfl. v The lower portion of the memberv 14 provides a. passageway 21 opening intoihe lowerpart'of the-- an angle inclined downwardly to the horizontal, The material discharged "into the conduit is conveyed by, pneumatic action" and in order that the pneumatic actionbef efiicient and properly convey the material it isessential that the conduit section 18 be only partially filled with @in'cli'nationjjof the passageway 21 is such that material discharged from theho'pper 10 into the fitting l4lwillifiow by gravity into the bottom portion of the section 18. Therpasa.

,sageway 21 is restricted to the lower portion or" the conduit 18 by awall 22 and the material flowing from the fitting 14 is thereby prevented from 5 completely filling the section 18.

lt'isidesirable that the pneumatic conduit sec tion 18 be completely sealed from-the hopper 10 I when material is: notibeing discharged from the hopper into th'e'conduit. For this purpose, I 0

' have provided a valve plate23 as a closure member-for the outlet opening in the bottom of the hopper 10, the lower edge of the hopper being 'machinedor otherwise treated inorder that the plate may form an air tight seal therewith.

In order to maintain the airtight fit'of the plate 23 on its seat, it is desirable it be positioned out of the path of material discharged from the hopper 10 so that it will not be abraded, and for this purposait is pivotally mounted so as to be swung to the dotted line position of Fig. 1. The

- plate 23 is actuated from open'to closedposition and vice versa by means of a shaft 27. The plate 2315 connected with the shaft 27 by an arm.26. The free end of the arm 26 is positioned between a pair of lugs 25 formed on the outer edge of the plate 23. and a' pin 24 extending through the lugs andthe arm provides a pivotal connection for the plate. The. other'end of the arm 26 is fixedly fastened to the shaft 27 by a hub 30 and asa result, rotation of the shaft correspondingly rotates the plate 23.

The shaft 27 is rotated by manually actuating a lever 3'7. The lever37 is operatively connected with the shaft 27 by means of a triangular shaped crank 35 and a spring lever 33. A shaft 36 mounted on the hopper 10 provides a pivotal support for the lower end of the crank 35. The upper end of the'crank 35 is fastened to the lever 37 by a pin 34 anda bolt 38. The crank 35 is operatively connected with the shaft 37 by the spring lever 33 in which the pin 34 is slidably mounted. The

crank 35 is preferably connected to the lever 37 near its midportion in a manner such that the lever is substantially balanced on the crank. Rotation of the lever 37 in counter clockwise direction as observed in Fig. 1 swings the pin 34 in an arc of a circle having a radius determined by the distance between the pin 34 and the shaft 36. The movement of the pin 34 in its arc causes'it to slide away from the end of the spring lever 33 and at the same time rotates the lever to actuate the shaft 27 to movethe plate 23 to its dotted line position. The position of the pin 34 relative to the shaft 36 and the bolt 38is such that the pin 34 passes through adead center as it is rotated as described and uponpassing such dead center, the weight of the lever 3'7 and the crank 35 tends to hold. the plate 23 in the dotted line position shown with the pin 34 bearing against the side of the spring lever 33. The plate 23 is returned to closed position by the opposite movement of the lever 37 resulting in corresponding opposite movement of the pin 34 and of the spring lever 33. The pin 34 upon passing the dead center in its return movement, takes the position shown in' Fig. 1 at the end of the spring lever 33, wherein it is held by the action of the lever.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an air tight closure member operable within a fitting through whichmaterial is discharged from a hopper into a. pneumatic conveyor conduit; the closure member when open being'held out'of'the path of the material and the fitting providing a passageway opening into the bottom of'the conduit, whereby the conduit is prevented from being filled to capacity.

its contents are discharged by gravity, a conduit section extending in a generally horizontal direction below said hopper, a member providing a receptacle into which the hopper contents are discharged, a .pivotally mounted plate providing a closure member for said opening, said plate operable to be swung out of the path of material .whenin open position and to form an air tight seal for said opening when in closed position, and means operable to open and close said plate, said means adapted to hold said plate against movement when in either open or closedposition, the

bottom of said receptacle providing a passageway adapted to direct the contents of the receptacle downwardly and laterally into the lower portion of the conduit section; V

2. A hopper having an opening through which its contents are discharged by gravity, a conduit section extending in a generally horizontal direction below said'hopper, a member providing a receptacle into which the hopper contents are-- discharged, a pivotally mounted plate providing a closure member for said opening, said plateoperable to be swung out of the pathof material when in open position and to form an air tight seal for said opening when in closed position, means operable to open and close said plate, said means adapted to hold said plate against movee ment when in either open or closed position, the bottom of said receptacle providing a passageway adapted to direct the contents of the receptacle downwardly and laierally into the conduit section, and means adapted to prevent the material entering said conduit section from filling the upper portion thereof.

- EDGAR B. TOLMAN, JR. 

